Many times, when we learn a former Vanguard’s story, there is one particular way in which the College impacted their journey—for example, a certain program or professor. Such is not the case with Dr. Vanessa Brooks, however. You only have to speak with her a few moments to get the sense that Vance-Granville Community College supported her journey time and time again, a thread woven through the fabric of her successes.
“[Vance-Granville] really did shape not just my education,” Dr. Brooks reflected. “The hope for a young girl who grew up in what we call poverty, who didn’t really see opportunities around her a whole lot, seeing that there was opportunity for advancement was absolutely life-changing for me.”
Start Here, Go Far
One of eight siblings, Brooks originally hails from Warren County, an area that has had more than its share of economic and environmental struggles. Having seen her older sisters enroll at VGCC, she followed in their footsteps to pursue an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. The mere task of getting to campus for class was a testament to Brooks’s resilience and tenacity. These were the days before Vance-Granville’s Warren Campus had been built—and Brooks did not own a vehicle. For a while, keeping up with her studies meant coordinating rides all the way to and from the College’s Henderson campus every time class was in session. But the College saw the need and was able to do something about it. Brooks qualified to join VGCC’s Work Study program, and as a result, she ultimately saved up enough to buy her very first car.
Dr. Brooks recalls how eye-opening her earliest Vance-Granville classes were. For someone whose experiences had been limited up to that point, the course material was not merely something to learn for a test but a brand new way to look at the world. “I remember taking psychology and just thinking I’d arrived. I also had a really great math instructor [who helped me overcome my fear of that subject].”
Another impactful course Brooks took at VGCC in the mid 1990s was Human Resources Development (HRD), a program designed to give jobseekers a versatile set of foundational workplace skills. She recalled a specific skill she learned in that class, one that’s easy to take for granted in 2024. “This might sound petty, but to me, this was so major. I had never touched a computer before, never seen a computer. They taught me how to turn a computer on.” That detail is all the more momentous in light of what Dr. Brooks has since achieved: multiple advanced degrees, each earned remotely online. That seemingly simple lesson she learned in a Vance-Granville classroom literally became the first step toward the doctorate degree she earned just this summer.
A Family Affair
The family bond with Vance-Granville did not end with Dr. Brooks and her siblings. More recently, their next generation has also thrived at VGCC.
As Dr. Brooks sat at a table on VGCC’s Main Campus and told her story, she proudly noted that her daughter is a Vance-Granville graduate as well, having completed the College’s Medical Assisting program in July 2022. (Coincidentally, this interview took place on the very day the Medical Assisting Class of 2024 held their own pinning ceremony, just hours later in the building next door.)
To add yet another point of connection between Brooks and Vance-Granville, her niece went on join the College’s administration. Dr. Laurica Yancey has served as VGCC’s Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development since 2022.
Educating, Inspiring, Supporting
Following her time at Vance-Granville, Dr. Brooks’s career path took her through the fields of social services, pastoral ministry, and entrepreneurship. She has also earned an impressive array of degrees: An associate degree in human services from University of Phoenix, a bachelor degree in human services administration from Kaplan University with summa cum laude honors, a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Houston Christian University, and finally a doctorate degree mental health and human services administration from HCU. (The adjacent photo shows Dr. Brooks with Dr. Richard Cozart, her dissertation chair and mentor at HCU.)
Her educational goals complete, Dr. Brooks is eager to see what comes next. Combining her firsthand knowledge of the community’s needs and the specialized expertise she’s learned along the way, she has a unique opportunity to give back. She’s still discerning exactly what that will look like, but she is specifically interested in the intersection of mental health/wellness and religious spaces.
Dr. Brooks doesn’t have any intention to be a student again any time soon. (“The only time I want to [return to] a classroom is if I have a chance to teach,” she joked. “I’m done!”) But if she ever changes her mind, Vance-Granville will be here to support her every step of the way!
Ready to begin your own journey at Vance-Granville? Visit vgcc.edu/how-to-apply today and find a program that fits your career goals!
